


Guardian Angel

by faerierequiem



Category: Raven Cycle - Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: M/M, crack ship galore
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-11
Updated: 2015-08-11
Packaged: 2018-04-14 02:33:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,045
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4546845
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/faerierequiem/pseuds/faerierequiem
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><i>If Noah had to confess, he went to church for a wide-eyed, golden-haired boy with enough faith and hope for the whole world.</i><br/>a fic I wrote near last Christmas about the two sweetie pies of TRC falling in love</p>
            </blockquote>





	Guardian Angel

**Author's Note:**

> A Fine Frenzy and Priscilla Ahn's music matches these two well (in case you want something to listen to as you read. A little Kings of Convenience is also pretty fitting). I personally recommend A Fine Frenzy's "Electric Twist" and Priscilla Ahn's "Cry Baby" and "Oo La La".

Their father had died, but while the two eldest knew of this, the youngest had not yet been told. He did not suspect anything unusual about his slumbering mother. He did not wonder where his brothers and father were. Unaware of it all, he leaned against the armchair his mother slept in, practicing his concertina and frowning each time he made a mistake, which was often. Soon, a perpetual frown lingered on his face.

Noah watched the boy with sad eyes, trying not to imagine how deep the frown was going to become once he knew the truths. Noah was only a ghost and a stranger. There was nothing he could do for the situation—

Off in the distance, the front door opened. He could hear the bitter, hushed arguments of the two eldest.

Without thinking, Noah sent the boy’s music sheets billowing into the air.

The boy yelped in surprise. It was a small noise, but it sent the other two running into the room. When they saw that there were no threats, relief settled over their faces.

“Matthew,” the eldest spoke, “stop making such a mess.” It was meant to be a light-hearted lecture, but it came out tense and dry. He was not fit for anything else but somberness.

If the youngest— _Matthew_ —had looked close enough, he would have been able to tell something was terribly wrong. His brothers were not good liars like their dead father. But Matthew had his attention turned to his music sheets in awe.

Noah let out a sigh. Maybe this would be of help.

The music sheets were all now flipped over, showing off the early scrawls of their father’s composition.

Matthew searched through the papers until he found what he was looking for. A grin spread across his face.

The middle boy stepped forward, curious. “What is it?” He asked.

Matthew showed him the first sheet of the composition. “Dad’s writing this song for me to play on my concertina,” he said. He laughed in delight. His smile was like a fragment of summer amongst all the bleakness.

Noah allowed himself a small smile before he left the room. Matthew’s clumsy attempts at his father’s composition followed Noah down the hall until he was out the opened door.

* * *

“Damn it! I can’t believe he didn’t tell me!” Ronan scowled and tightened his grip on the steering wheel. “Declan must be having a good laugh at this one! He’s probably betting on how long it would take for me to notice.  _Fuck_!”

Noah played with the bow of Matthew’s present. “You  _were_  in a rough spot.” He recalled how scholarly occupied Ronan had been a week ago.

“Fuck school!” Ronan shouted. “My little brother turns 16 only once and I’m stuck studying for stupid tests about bullshit I  _know_  I’ll never even use again.”

“Matthew won’t mind,” Noah said and the truth of it was enough for Ronan to go slack and nod, grudgingly.

“Thanks for helping me pick out a present,” Ronan said.

Noah nodded. He still couldn’t believe how well he’d wrapped the gift. Usually it took him two or three or four tries before he got it right.

“Are you sure he needs a new one?” Ronan asked. He let go of the wheel with one of his hands and nervously adjusted the bands on his arm.

Noah held back a smile. “Trust me on this one.”

When Matthew opened the present, his face lit up and he jumped with joy, throwing his arms around Ronan. “How did you know I needed a new one?”

Over Matthew’s shoulder, Ronan gave Noah an appreciative smile, raising an eyebrow, but Noah simply shrugged. The truth was his alone to know.

* * *

Later on that day, Noah listened to Matthew play his new concertina. It wasn’t very late, but late enough that most people had already fallen asleep. Ever considerate, Matthew had gone outside, away from the dorms.

He sat underneath a tree, gazing up at the night sky as he played a song Noah recognized immediately.

Matthew had long since perfected his father’s song. Now with his skill level, he could play the song blind-folded and with his ears blocked of sound if he had to. It was that easy. If Niall Lynch was still alive, he would have had to write a much more difficult piece than the one his youngest son now played.

Noah sat a few feet away from Matthew. His spot made him much more vulnerable to the wind, but he didn’t mind. He closed his eyes and listened to Matthew play. Matthew’s old concertina had broken a month ago and Noah had missed hearing him play. Matthew would always be too selfless to ask for a new one. Who knows how long it would have taken for this moment to be possible if Ronan had not asked Noah’s help for a gift?

Gradually, the song came to an end. Noah waited for Matthew to play more, but the night stayed silent afterwards.

Matthew’s voice did not startle Noah, but his words did. “I know you’re out there.”

Noah’s eyes snapped open and he felt himself go still in shock.

To his relief, Matthew was not looking at him. Although his face was turned towards the stars, Noah knew he was not talking to them. But there was no way that Matthew was talking to him… _was there?_  It couldn’t be possible.

He watched Matthew, searching for any answers, but he found none.

Matthew did not say anything more and he didn’t play anything else. He continued to sit there for a moment before he got to his feet and went back inside the dorms, leaving Noah cold and alone.

* * *

If Noah had to confess, he did not sneak into church for God.

He always had to make sure to find a spot where Ronan wouldn’t be able to see him, but where he would be able to see Matthew. This spot was at one of the very back pews in the far corner.

He tried to concentrate on the sermons, but it was difficult to when Matthew was always so enthusiastic. Noah had long since felt guilty for his diverted attention. Not when his Sundays were so sunny. There was nothing to apologize for in watching Matthew’s easy smiles and hearing him sing his heart out and seeing him shift in restlessness.

If Noah had to confess, he went to church for a wide-eyed, golden-haired boy with enough faith and hope for the whole world.

* * *

Noah showed himself after service, making sure to leave early to go stand outside and look as if he had been waiting the whole time. Of course, only Ronan saw him and he smirked at Noah’s attempt at nonchalance.

“Can we go out for ice cream  _sundaes_?” Matthew asked.

His brothers laughed at his pun—lame as it was.

“Sure,” Declan said. “My schedule’s free at the moment.”

“Like it always is,” Ronan said, earning himself a glare from his older brother.

“I want to ride in the Volvo!” Matthew sprinted off to Declan’s car, oblivious to his brothers’ antagonism.

Noah rode with Ronan in the BMW to the ice cream parlor. Declan and Matthew arrived a little afterwards. It had not been a long wait, but Ronan acted like it was, which aggravated Declan.

Matthew ordered as his brothers bickered and then turned back to the table. His composure was calm as he placed his chin in one of his palms and asked, “Do you two believe in guardian angels?” The question came out easy and innocent—as if people usually asked about guardian angels.

Both Declan and Ronan stared at their brother. Even Noah had to analyze Matthew for anything.

“Well, I suppose it’s possible,” Ronan said after a pause.

“But don’t depend on guardian angels, Matthew,” Declan interjected. “Depend on people you can trust and, well, see.”

“I think I have a guardian angel,” Matthew told them.

Noah felt himself trying to be as discreet as possible. He clenched his hands together in nervous anticipation.

The two eldest Lynch brothers both wore faces of interest, looking at their youngest brother to continue.

“I think,” Matthew began, carefully, “the first time they showed up was the day I found out dad died.”

Matthew’s words elicited the same response from his audience—a chill, but Noah knew Declan and Ronan had their own, different reasons for going still.

He couldn’t help but think,  _Maybe he_ was _talking to me last night._

“I take it that this guardian angel is friendly?” Ronan asked in a tight voice.

Matthew nodded right away. “Of course! They’re the reason why I found out about dad’s song.”

 _He’s talking about me._  Noah struggled to stay quiet. He was glad Ronan wasn’t looking his way. He wouldn’t be able to control the emotions that fought to escape him.

“I hope they know I’m thankful for them,” Matthew said. Then the orders arrived, causing him to switch to gushing about his sundae.

* * *

A few nights later, Noah found himself standing beside Matthew’s bed. Matthew shared his room with Declan, but Declan had probably decided to spend the night somewhere else, because his bed remained empty.

Matthew was making small, whimpering sounds in his sleep.

Noah knew he was most likely dreaming about his mother. She was the one constant dark spot in Matthew’s bright life, a source of yearning and sadness and troubled dreams.

Despite himself, Noah reached out a hand and smoothed the curls over Matthew’s sweaty forehead.

With a jolt, Matthew’s eyes opened and Noah flinched away, snapping to a corner of the room. He didn’t have to, but he clasped a hand over his mouth, trying to make himself invisible enough that even a boy who somehow still sensed his presence wouldn’t be able to anymore.

Noah watched Matthew sit up in his bed. His breaths were loud in the quiet.

Trembling slightly, Matthew reached a hand up to the curls at his forehead.

Behind his hand, Noah bit his lip. Fear prickled at him, although he didn’t know why.

“I… I…” Matthew took a deep breath. “I know when you touch me. I can feel it. I get calm and happy and I know everything will be alright.”

Noah stared down at his hands, unsure what to think, unsure if he believed his touch was even capable of that. That the hand he had against his mouth was that extraordinary.

Matthew fumbled in the dark for the switch to his lamp. Clumsily, his fingers found it and soon, he was illuminated by the light, soft and precious. Frantically, he glanced around the room, even though Noah was sure that Matthew knew he wouldn’t be able to see anything.

Matthew stammered the question, “W-What’s your name?”

Noah thought of Ronan, wondering how Ronan would react if Matthew told him that Noah was the name of his guardian angel. Would Ronan jump to connect-the-dot conclusions? He imagined the things Ronan would say and was a little amused by the thought.

“It’s okay if you don’t want to tell me,” Matthew said, breaking Noah out of his thoughts. “Or maybe you do, but you can’t. That’s probably how it works, but either way, you don’t have to feel forced to tell me. I was just—”

“Noah.”

Noah blinked in surprise. He hadn’t even been aware of himself going to Matthew or leaning close to his ear or making the decision to whisper. He had never tried to talk to Matthew before. He supposed it was because he knew there was no point. But that didn’t stop this—telling Matthew his name—from feeling like the only right thing to do.

Matthew was silent. His eyes were closed, his eyelashes casting crescent moon shadows underneath them. There was a ghost of a smile on his face.

Being so near him made Noah more speechless than he usually was. He crossed his arms across his chest to stop himself from giving in to temptation and reaching out to touch Matthew. He willed himself to be still as he waited, anxiously.

At last, Matthew turned his head, opening his eyes to look straight into Noah’s. “It’s nice to finally meet your acquaintance, Noah.”

**Author's Note:**

> If you tumblr, check out the fic here: http://faerielament.tumblr.com/post/105971099576/the-raven-cycle-guardian-angel - and reblog/like!


End file.
